The Children's Hospital at Westmead in Greystanes, New South Wales | Hospital

The Children's Hospital at Westmead

Locality: Greystanes, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 9845 0000

Address: Cnr Hawkesbury Rd and Hainsworth St 2145 Greystanes, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au

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• Non-profit organisation

25.01.2022 FAREWELL LYN | For the past 23 years, Lyn Biviano has dedicated her life to helping the children and families at our Hospital. As the Head of our Social Work department, she has been instrumental in growing and shaping the service to provide the best possible support to children and their families who have been impacted by an illness, accident or trauma. But her dedication has never stopped there. She has also developed and grown the Hospital’s annual Service of Remembrance; ...has introduced many new social work positions within various clinical areas; and has represented social work on multiple hospital committees and advisory groups with an unwavering commitment to family-centred practice. After all this time and the difference she has made, it is with mixed emotions that today we say farewell. While she isn’t retiring, Lyn is leaving to spend more time with family and plans to travel to Queensland (when allowed!) to see friends over the coming months. We are sure you will join us in thanking Lyn for her service and wishing her all the very best for the future.

24.01.2022 SAVE THE DATE: Our annual public meeting will be held this Thursday, 5 November, from 12.30pm - 2pm. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the meeting will be held virtually, via Zoom. Details below.

24.01.2022 GET INVOLVED | If you’re taking a break from the ward or have some time in between appointments, where do you go? And more importantly, where would you like to go? In our new Paediatric Services Building, retail will be a big focus so that you can have access to the places that will help improve your day-to-day experience. Knowing what to put in there though relies on hearing from you. So, complete our survey here https://samshepherd.typeform.com/to/jxfCJPPz and tell us exactly what you’d like to see no idea is too big.

23.01.2022 "I am passionate about what I can contribute to the workplace, and receiving flexible adjustments allowed my skills and capabilities to be taken seriously, without being restricted by my condition," - Angelica, alumni of the NSW Government Disability Intern Program. The Disability Intern Program is a paid internship scheme that matches talented university students who happen to live with disability with roles in leading organisations across the state. Angelica’s role as an ...intern here at SCHN assisted in gaining full time employment in her dream field of health, and it’s just the beginning for her. Read her story below

23.01.2022 CONGRATULATIONS | Any patient who has been touched by the work of the liver transplant team would also have been touched by the work of Diana Carmody. Diana is our Liver Transplant Social Worker and has been providing psychosocial, emotional and practical support to families of patients with life-threatening liver conditions for more than 34 years. While Diana is an incredibly skilled social worker, she is best known for the compassion she has for each of her families. No is...sue a family faces is too great or too small for her to tackle and she is constantly searching for ways to change the system so no family is disadvantaged. Diana's contribution to the social work profession and her ability to hear and understand what is happening for families has this month seen her recognised as a life member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). Congratulations Diana on this fantastic and well-deserved achievement.

23.01.2022 You have done it! Over $3.1 million raised #forsickkids On behalf of our Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Bear Cottage, Newborn & paediatric Emergency Transport Service - NETS NSW and Kids Research - thank you. Your generosity to the #SydneySickKidsAppeal will help ensure we can continue to provide the very best equipment, research and care for kids like Tayla and Xavier. ... Thank you to Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation, to everyone who donated, to matching partners; BioIsland and Pherrus and to 7NEWS Sydney for helping to make this special event possible. Watch the full wrap up below

21.01.2022 CONGRATULATIONS RITA | Over Rita Williams' 30 year career, she has certainly made a lasting impact. As an inspirational and proud Aboriginal woman, Rita was instrumental in the implementation of a public health surveillance program looking at the kidney health of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children and in the establishment of a dedicated Aboriginal Children's Memorial Garden at our Hospital. It is these significant achievements, combined with Rita's passion for pushing th...e boundaries to make a difference, that saw her announced as Collaborative Staff Member of the Year in today's NSW Health awards. Congratulations Rita on this well deserved achievement. Read more: https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au//network-wins-big-at-20

19.01.2022 Almost five years ago to the date, Xavier walked out of hospital after recovering from a life-threatening blood infection. The infection caused Xavier to develop sepsis and sent him into multi-organ failure. The teams in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Newborn & paediatric Emergency Transport Service - NETS NSW saved his life. Xavier is now a happy, healthy and very cheeky nine year old boy - a gift his parents are forever thankful for. ... Today, in support of Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation's #SydneySickKidsAppeal, Xavier's family and Two Way Cranes donated $15,000 to PICU to say thank you for the care provided to their little boy. You can help show your support #forsickkids like Xavier by donating to the Appeal too. Visit https://bit.ly/3j2EGdt and then tune in to 7NEWS Sydney from 6pm tonight for the final tally.

19.01.2022 The overuse of antibiotics is driving a global increase in drug-resistant infections and contributing to antimicrobial resistance. It's Antimicrobial Awareness Week and is an opportunity to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance and its potential impact on the healthcare system. Clinical Academic in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at CHW and Senior Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Health at University of Sydney, Dr Ameneh Khatami, has been researching and working ...on phage therapy for the last two years as an alternative to help fight against antimicrobial resistance. Read more: https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au//antimicrobials-handle- #WorldAntimicrobialAwarenessWeek #phagetherapy

18.01.2022 Need to make a start on your Christmas shopping? Well look no further. Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation have launched a new range of Christmas merchandise - and they are the gifts that keep on giving. This special selection of cards, tea towels and totes have been designed by patients across our Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick and Bear Cottage and are guaranteed to light up Christmas for your loved ones as well as sick kids. All proceeds from the merchan...dise will go towards the Light Up Christmas Appeal, helping kids like 13-year-old Luka. Order yours today by visit www.lightupxmas.org.au or if your around the Hospital, stop by the fundraising booth in our Galleria. #LightUpXmas #forsickkids

16.01.2022 #Unmasked | "My name is Dot and I am a Registered Nurse. This year has been an incredibly challenging and eventful year for the Hospital, particularly with adjusting to changes involving the current COVID-19 pandemic. One of the major changes involved creating a ward focused on looking after patients who require isolation while their COVID-19 swab is pending. The ward also admits patients who require isolation due to quarantine purposes from recent travel or visits to COVID ...hotspots. I have been working on this ward since the beginning of the year. It has been a great learning experience for our team as we have been exposed to a diverse range of patients of all age groups. The idea of COVID-19 can at times be daunting or scary for some patients and their family members. Some children may even cry or run away when they see me in my mask, gown, goggles and gloves. As frightening as I may look, we are dedicated to protecting our children and families so that we can keep everyone safe and the outfit I wear is an important part of that. To help introduce myself to children when I am all dressed up, I like to include their parents so that the children can see wearing a mask isn't scary because Mum or Dad are also wearing one. Underneath the mask, I’m still a fun nurse that loves to make sure that the children enjoy their time spent with us. Wearing a mask doesn’t stop me from making the children laugh with my silly dance moves or my cringe-worthy jokes, or if that fails, my rendition of baby shark. Underneath the mask, it’s still just me." #maskup #forsickkids

16.01.2022 You've lit a fire in our hearts Fire and Rescue NSW For the last 15 years, Fire and Rescue firefighters have supported our Burns Unit with their annual 400in4 Charity Ride. Normally the crew cover over 400km in 4 days, riding from Huskisson to Mt Kosciuszko to raise funds to support children with burn injuries. This year though, with the impact of COVID-19, things were a little different with the crew instead completing a one-day 90km ride from Jindabyne to Charlotte’s Pas...s. This didn’t impact their commitment to fundraising though, raising more than $113,000, which will make a huge difference in the lives of sick kids. Thank you Fire and Rescue NSW! #ForSickKids #MoreThanFire

15.01.2022 FIRST LOOK | The Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard officially unveiled a first look at our new Paediatric Services Building this week. The new building is being delivered as part of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Stage 2 project and is set to transform the future of paediatric healthcare with a range of new services including expanded neonatal intensive care and paediatric intensive care units as well as new operating theatres. The new building will also see the enhance...ment of the front plaza at the Hospital, transforming it into KIDSPARK, an interactive green space that will welcome patients, families, community and staff to Westmead. Take a look at the fly-through on 7NEWS Sydney Read more: www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au//first-look-unveiled-of-new-bui

14.01.2022 If you’ve ever been helped by a volunteer here at the Hospital, whether they have helped direct you to a ward, looked after patient’s siblings, assisted you at the Volunteers Shop or taken your temperature upon entry, you would know the difference they make in the lives of patients and their families every single day. The friendly face that ensures things run smoothly from behind the scenes is Jill Jenkins. Known for her caring nature and positive attitude, Jill has spent m...ore than 25 years ensuring our Volunteers are able to successfully support staff, patients and families every single day. Today, on International Volunteer Managers Day, is a chance for us to celebrate and thank each of our ten Volunteer Managers across the Network, like Jill, for the work they do and the difference they make in the lives of sick kids

13.01.2022 When the students at The Hospital School at Westmead first heard about the COVID-19 pandemic and saw everything our healthcare workers were doing in response, they knew they wanted to do something to help. After much thought and consideration, the primary school students decided on 3D printing mask extenders to prevent the doctors and nurses from getting sore ears. The project formed part of their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) activities and has seen the pro...duction of more than 30 mask extenders to date! Read more about this thoughtful project below.

11.01.2022 #Champions4Children | "When COVID-19 struck, our Clinical Genetics team acted quickly. There were lots of uncertainties and we needed to ensure we could continue caring for families. We rapidly established working from home environments and processes in case we couldn’t be on-site, started providing the option of telehealth appointments and organised daily online check-ins to maintain team communication. Sounds simple but change is never without challenges. How do we read bod...y language on telehealth or facial expressions with a mask on? Genetic Counsellors help people understand and adapt to the medical and psycho-social impacts of genetic risks in a way that is meaningful to them. This could be things like how a genetic condition might affect them, who they should share the information with in their family, what their options might be for family planning, which genetic tests might be right for them, or what a test may or may not tell them. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve adapted and used alternate counselling strategies, and we will continue doing our best for the families we see." - Claire Wong, Associate Genetic Counsellor. Today is Genetic Counsellor Awareness Day, a day to acknowledge our wonderful genetic counsellors, like Claire, and thank them for all that they do. #GeneticCounsellorAwarenessDay #IAmAGeneticCounsellor

10.01.2022 #Champions4Children | As an Occupational Therapist, I am honoured to work alongside such an amazing team who have remained extremely flexible, inventive and adaptable. The Occupational Therapy department have not let the uncertainty and challenges of COVID-19 affect our ability to do what we love - which is to assist with and provide opportunities for children to participate to their fullest potential in daily activities. My team has remained flexible by creating alternate ways to provide therapy, including offering therapy via an online platform. Continuing to ensure a COVID-19 safe environment to provide care for those children who are admitted or are attending necessary outpatient appointments. - Demi Payne, Occupational Therapist. #ThisisOT #OccupationalTherapyWeek

10.01.2022 Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been fairly lucky. Most have shown a greater resilience to the virus than adults and those who have contracted it have generally not needed to be hospitalised. But what happens after a child does test positive? Well, that's where our Network's CORT service comes in. With any positive patient still needing to self-isolate for 14 days, the COVID Positive Outpatient Response Team (CORT) care for children in the comfort of their own... home, providing telehealth and in-person consults, as well as couriering out any necessary medication - including Easter eggs - so they don't need to leave the house. This was one of the first paediatric COVID outreach services provided in NSW and has helped care for 78 patients since March. Read more below.

08.01.2022 Now more than ever, the healthcare system has leaned on the knowledge and expertise of pathologists to guide and protect the local community. Today is International Pathology Day, an annual awareness day dedicated to highlighting the fundamental role of pathology in the healthcare community. Professor Alison Kesson, Head of Pathology, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, has been leading her team since the beginning of March to process the thousands of samples to test for C...OVID-19. Read more: https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au//11/the-power-of-pathol Check out the video below from our friends at Starlight Children's Foundation Australia who went behind-the-scenes in our Pathology Department and had a chat to some of the team A big thank you to our Pathology Department for all your hard work during these unprecedented times. It doesn't go unnoticed #PathologyDay #IPD2020

06.01.2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are Australia's First Nation. They were our first explores, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first scientists and first artists. They were also the first custodians of our land, including that on which our Hospital stands. Today was a chance to celebrate these firsts and recognise the people who have occupied and care for our continent for over 65,000 years. To mark NAIDOC Week 2020, and the theme "Always Was, A...lways Will Be", our Aboriginal Health Unit held a number of activities that celebrated the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people including clap stick painting, Ochre painting, a bush yarn with Adam Byrne from Wilder Gardens about the plants in our Aboriginal Children's Memorial Garden as well as a special screening of "In My Blood It Runs". Across our Network we respect and value the enormous contribution our Aboriginal staff make to patients and families, the vital work they do to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal children and the vital role we all have in closing the gap. Read more about #NAIDOCWeek on our website: www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/news/articles/2020/11/naidoc-week #NAIDOC2020

05.01.2022 Button batteries are lurking everywhere in your home. If swallowed or inserted, they can cause serious harm in under two hours. Always keep button batteries out of reach of children. Check that toys and household items have a battery compartment secured with a screw. If you think your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, call Triple Zero (000) or the 24/7 Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for expert advice.... Learn how to protect your family here: kidshealth.org.au/button-batteries or https://bit.ly/2Y9jiYK.

04.01.2022 Christmas is a special time for everyone but especially for the Miles family. Between seven-year-old Bryson and his baby brother Ryder, they have had more than 16 lifesaving brain surgeries at our Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, making every day a blessing in itself. Today, Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) launched their Light Up Xmas Appeal to help sick kids like Bryson and Ryder. The appeal will raise vital funds for our two hospitals as well... as Bear Cottage, Newborn & paediatric Emergency Transport Service - NETS NSW and Kids Research. The TODAY Show and Westfield Parramatta joined SCHF's CEO Nicola Stokes to help make the launch extra special, even bringing Santa all the way from the North Pole for the occasion. To find out how you can get involved and show your support, visit www.lightupxmas.org.au Together we can do amazing things #forsickkids. #LightUpXmas

04.01.2022 #Unmasked | My name is Aakash and I am one of the porters at the Hospital. My job is to help transport patients to and from different wards, to their scans and appointments and sometimes over to the adult hospital. I only started working here about four months ago so you probably only know me with a mask. I wear a mask not just because of COVID-19, but also because of the other bugs and viruses that may be around. This helps protect me, the patients I’m transporting, and th...e other visitors I come across in my travels around the corridors. I like to explain my mask in funny ways, make up a character and tell my patients a story about that. It helps make it seem a little less scary and little more fun. As we are travelling around the Hospital, one of my favourite things to do is to show you some of the sights. I have a seven-year-old son so I try to pick out the things I know he’d enjoy, like the cow statue and the artwork, and make our trip into a sight-seeing tour as well. I love trying to make each trip fun for my patients and that hasn’t changed because of my mask. Underneath my mask, it’s still just me. #maskup #forsickkids

04.01.2022 Welcome to the 2020 NSW Health Awards! In this extraordinary year, we are recognising the success of our staff, against the backdrop of the drought, bushfires, ...floods, and of course, the ongoing response to COVID-19. Please join us to celebrate the finalists and winners from across our healthcare system. #NSWHealthAwards

03.01.2022 If Rose's doctors were asked to describe her in one word it would be 'remarkable'. At four-months-old, Rose was diagnosed with an extremely rare mitochondrial disease known as MPV17 deficiency. Cared for by teams at both our Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, she is the only the only known child survivor of the condition in Australia and is exceeding everyone's expectations with her incredible determination and resilience. See more on 7NEWS Sydney.... You can help more kids like Rose by supporting Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation's #SydneySickKidsAppeal. Donate today at www.schf.org.au/sska-dm-mg-donate

02.01.2022 Chances are someone you know will have relied on our Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Bear Cottage or Newborn & paediatric Emergency Transport Service - NETS NSW at some point during their childhood. They are one of the thousands of sick children we care for every year. Today, on #SydneySickKidsDay, Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation are relying on the support of people like you to help raise $3 million so sick kids and their families can continue to receive the very best care when and where they need it. To get involved, visit www.schf.org.au/sska-dm-mg-donate. As an added bonus, if you donate between now and Friday 25th June, your donation will be doubled thanks to partners, Bio Island and Pherrus will match your donation.

01.01.2022 PATHOLOGY OPEN SATURDAYS | Does your child require a blood test? Our Pathology Department is now open on Saturdays between 8am-12pm by appointment. To book an appointment, please call (02) 9845 3276 or email your contact details (including mobile number) to [email protected] and a staff member will be in touch to organise an appointment.

01.01.2022 The Castle Hill Highway Patrol team took some time out of their busy day to support the annual Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation's Race for Grace 2020 event. Led by Officer Ian Rooke, the group took up the challenge of walking 11kms - from Castle Hill to Parramatta Park - to help raise money for our Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care. The 11km distance reflects the average stay of sick babies in Grace, which is 11 days. Office Ian Rooke is all too familiar with t...he Grace Centre as his son, two-year-old Rory, spent five weeks in Grace when he was a baby. Ian and his family are encouraging everyone to join them this November in supporting the virtual #RaceForGrace. Over 11 days in November, clock up 11kms per day, either on your own or in a small group, to raise money for sick babies who rely on our Grace Centre. For more information or to register now, head to www.raceforgrace.com.au